Motor vehicles use an axle assembly to drive the wheels of the vehicle. Many vehicles use a single crown wheel driven by a gear set that is coupled to the drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected to the engine and the transmission of the vehicle while the gear set is coupled to the wheels of the vehicle. Split torque axle assemblies have been designed to split the torque from the drive shaft in two parallel paths for driving a pair of crown wheels. By splitting the torque from the drive shaft into two separate paths to drive two crown wheels, the torque applied to the crown wheels is reduced. As a result, smaller crown wheels can be utilized for the same or greater torque. Smaller crown wheels are desirable because they provide greater clearance between the drive train of the vehicle and the ground, take up less room under the vehicle, and are generally lighter in weight, among other benefits.
Differential's are also known for use in axle assemblies. Differentials allow the wheels of a vehicle to spin at different speeds under certain circumstances, such as when the vehicle turns around corners. Limited slip differentials are a form of differential that transmits torque to a non-spinning wheel and limits the amount of torque that is applied to a spinning or slipping wheel.